When You're the Target
Chapter Four
Lisbon stood and leaned forward, palms on the desk. She quickly scanned the room and smiled. Patrick Jane was conspicuous by his absence. "Cho, how's Jane holding up?"
Cho shrugged. "He's being Jane, but he's very tense and jumpy. I guess I would be, too, if I knew I was being hunted by a sniper."
"Has he made any progress in tracking this guy," Lisbon asked.
"He's gotten three phone calls from him, when I was with him, and though they verbally spar, Jane's not getting anything he can use. He say's he's getting some insight into his personality, but I'm skeptical. I think he's wishing." Cho shook his head and grimaced.
Lisbon sighed. "I hear you! Jane's getting to be a real pain." She looked around. "Ok, I've got to hurry this. Jane could be back any moment, now. Here's what's been suggested. Hightower suggested that we hold a "Meet the CBI Picnic." She continued, "Jane will be a well publicized personality." She sighed. "He does get the press and a lot of people would like to meet him."
Rigsby stood, in shock. "You mean we're going to get out in public, with Jane, and let this guy try to pop us?" He did not look happy.
Lisbon tried to suppress a smile. Secretly, she agreed with his obvious displeasure. "Your grasp of the situation, as usual, is one hundred percent." Now, she did smile.
He sat, heavily, down. His face a study in shock and amazement. "We're going to be ducks in a shooting gallery," he muttered. "Now, I getting an idea of how Jane must feel."
"We're not going to be exactly ducks in a shooting gallery. You and Jane will alternate sniper guard duty. We will all be armed and we'll stuff Jane into a vest. "
Grace snorted, a very lady like snort, "You'll have to stuff him into it. You know how he hates those things." She continued in a low mutter, "Not that I blame him."
The sound of the elevator alerted them to the fact that Jane could be returning. Everyone tried to look busy and innocent, and Jane, did in fact, exit from the elevator and enter the bull pen area.
He smiled a cheery smile. "I see you started the meeting without me. A guy takes a few extra winks, and he's totally forgotten."
"Oh, we haven't forgotten you, Jane," Lisbon retorted. "You are always on our minds!"
Jane smiled and walked towards Lisbon till he was just inches from her desk. He leaned over and gazed into her eyes and smiled. "I'm always on your mind, am I"?
Lisbon flushed and pushed him away. "Yes, Jane," she replied through gritted teeth. "You are always on my mind. You are a thorn in my side, a pain in my life and a weight on my mind! There! Satisfied?"
"My Dear Teresa, you wound me. You wound me deeply! Here, I, a mere admirer from afar, find you so little value my presence..."
"Cho! Grab this pain in the butt and pour some tea into him before I shoot him, please." Lisbon shook her head, smiling, as Cho led Jane, not all that gently, towards the coffee area, where there was hot water ready to be brewed into tea.
Jane looked back, over his shoulder, grinned and waved back to Lisbon. "You know you love me!"
oOo
The old woman thanked the cabbie for a very pleasant and safe ride. She fumbled in her oversize purse and finally found a bill. "You keep the change, young man. You earned it," she said in her feeble shaky voice.
"You're going to be okay," the cabbie asked, concern in his voice.
"Oh, yes, my grandson is just over there," she said waving vaguely. "I'm going to enjoy a nice stroll and then have dinner with him."
The cabbie smiled, waved, and drove off. The old lady, slowly walked to the end of the block, made the turn, walked the length of that block, turned again and entered an apartment in mid block. She closed the door behind her, checked it, and looked around. Seeing no one, Patrick ripped the wig and shawl off. With a disgusted look on his face, he bounded up the three flights of steps to Cho's apartment. Cho was waiting at the door for him. Jane had sent a text message from the cab, informing Cho of his ETA. He quickly stripped off the remainder of the disguise. He looked as Cho's impassive face and smiled.
"Thank you for not laughing at this and making my life an even bigger hell," he told Cho.
"Not funny," Cho responded. "Necessary. We need you alive and this is doing that."
"So far," Jane grunted.
Jane's phone rang. He looked at it and nodded to Cho. He let it ring three more times and then answered it. "Jane, here."
"Well, Mr. Jane, aren't you the slippery one. I thought I had you, today," the tiny distorted voice said, emanating from the speaker on the phone. "Where, oh, where, can you be," the mocking voice asked.
Jane replied, smiling and projecting that smile verbally, "Why, I'm at home preparing to have a nice sip of tea, now that you mention it."
"Now, now, now, you wouldn't lie to me, would you? I know you're not home. Your place is dark."
"Just because I don't sit around with every light on, doesn't mean I'm not home. I do value my privacy, you know." Jane nodded to Cho, who quickly type a command onto his computer. "There," Jane said. "I turned the living room light on. I'm sorry the curtains are drawn, but I don't like living in a fish bowl."
"That's not possible!" they heard over the cell phone. "You can't be in there." There was a pause. "You're playing games with me, Mr. Jane. You are not so brave as to make a target of yourself. You pride yourself on your brain, not your courage."
Jane nosily sighed into the phone, leaning forward towards the speaker so it would pick it up. He held up one finger to Cho. "You're right, I'm not all that brave, I think I'll turn the light off now." He dropped the finger and Cho tapped the enter button on his computer.
"You, you. That's not possible," the phone said. There was a pause. "You son of a bitch, you set a trap for me." There was an audible snap and the caller closed his phone and the line cleared.
"I guess that light on the random timer did get his attention and the internet control of your living room light really was a flash of genius. You really got him wound up that time." Cho smiled.
"It's just a matter of time," Jane grinned. "I'm getting to him, now, not the other way around.
Cho gave an evil grin. "Okay, Jane, you sit here and you and I are going to have a nice little conversation, while the team tries to track down our boy, here, or at least get a solid lead on him. Here's what we're planning..."
oOOOo